I think this is great for the world. Without places like Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Greece, people around the world would romanticize socialism. But because we have these countries, whenever someone begins to romanticize socialism, we can always point to them and say: look, this is the end result.
Sucks for the Venezuelans of course, but I don't feel that sorry for them because any fool could have told you as far back as 2000 what Chavez was going to become eventually, and he had 60% of the vote in his election then.
So keep at it Chavez, I totally support you keeping the rest of the world free from socialism!

Oil is utterly useless, unless you can bring it up to surface (inside pipes, preferably). Oil production in Venezuela has been steadily decreasing since Mr. Chávez took power. PDVSA, the state oil company, used to be one of the leading companies in Latin America in terms of patents; it now gets none.

Regarding Lula and Obama, neither is even remotely close to being Chávezes.

I don't see the problem. Venezuela can afford to have a Chavez as president, including his petro-socialism. Because Venezuela is immensely rich. Venezuela disposes of some of the largest oil and gas deposits of the world. Even if Chavez is throwing the money with both hands after the poor, there is still plenty of it available to everyone else.

At least Chavez is honest about being a socialist, as opposed to Obama who is still publicly denying it. By their deeds ye shall know them. Ultimately, it'll be obvious to all but the most blind Obama supporters that they are cut from the same cloth. Unfortunately, it may well be too late to undo the damage.

Chávez is a dictator already. There is no democracy when 51% of a population take away the individual rights of the other 49%.
In Brazil, our President Lula hides his totalitarian face under a mask of democracy. He and his party are always trying to curb the press and seize individual rights.

@lev.D : clearly you had a horrible childhood and for that I apologize. Whoever mistreated you should be put in jail.... but please my friend stay in venezuela or go live in North Korea, because the world doesnt need more hatemongers or resented people.... we have enough of those

@Kochevnik: Balanced reponse. There are plenty of Obama policies I don't like, but it's a bit tiresome when some people come up with an Obama analogy to everything bad that happens in the world.

@YanquiGoHome: I was wondering where the Chavista trolls went as well. By this point, I'd expected the comments section to be full of the drivel of a bunch of pinko idiots enraged that a non-Venezuelan author dare have an opinon about their idiot pinko dictator.

Workers of venezuela!
ORGANISE YOUR OWN LOCAL AND NATIONAL COUNCILS!
NATIONALISE THE BANKS AND MULTINATIONALS UNDER YOUR OWN CONTROL AND ADMINISTRATION!
ALL WORKERS OFFICIALS ELECTED WITH IMMEDIATE RIGHT OF RECALL BY ELECTORATE!
OFFICIALS TO RECIEVE NO MORE THAN AVERAGE WORKERS WAGE!
ALL WEALTH CREATED TO BE REPATRIATED FOR THE BETTERMENT OF SOCIETY!
NO STANDING ARMY BUT THE ARMED PEOPLE- DEFEND YOUR REVOLUTIONARY GAINS!
MAKE AN APPEAL TO THE WORKERS OF THE WORLD TO RISE UP AND OVERTHROW THEIR OWN OPPRESSORS- THE CAPITALISTS AND THEIR ARMED GANGS!
ONLY WHEN THE WORKERS OF THE WORLD HAVE RISEN IN REVOLT AND OVERTHROWN CAPITALISM, CAN WE TALK ABOUT FREEDOM OR SOCIALISM!

O_Fidalgo, I find it puzzling to see Obama criticised as a big government ideologue when, it seems to me, in the BP fiasco he has been under fire for just the opposite, i.e. caving in to capitalist principles.

It is sad on one hand what desaster that guy has created. However, it is even worse when you consider the unique historical opportunity he had, especially the resources given by the oil bonanza. Venezuela could have come out of this decade renovated and well set for the future. In reality it has been set back by a few decades.

I know the Cardinal and Archbishop of Caracas has been called to speak before the house of representatives nothing new under the sun, anyone ho says anything truthfull may bother the president and might be persecuted by the powers of the government. Luke 21.12"they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to congress and prisons, and you will be brought before delegates and governors, and all on account of my name.This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict".

Chavez is clearly running Venezuela into the ground, and as others below have pointed out communism clearly suits his purposes for power.

Let's not get crazy with the Obama analogies though:

@valwayne: I'm not sure how the "left-wing elites" have corrupted Senate rules. Republicans still have the filibuster if they need it, right? I'm also not sure where the massive corruption = voter fraud is coming from...you mean ACORN? Couldn't the centre-left retort that Florida 2000 was something similar? Also, the misuse of the media is common to all modern US presidencies, just ask Nixon and Bush.

@O_Fidalgo: Same here. If I am not mistaken the massive involvement in finance and the auto industry started under a man named George W. Bush...and I'm not sure how requiring US citizens to purchase health insurance from private companies per 1990s Republican strategy equals a government takeover of health care.

By all means, criticise Obama. If you consider Republicans/conservatives your team, support your team. Vote against the Dems (you'll probably win something in November). But if you really oppose an extension of executive power, then please reach beyond partisanship and the left/right mode of thinking to truly wake Americans up to something new. We could cut Social Security, Medicare and the defense budget, institute a VAT and a balanced budget, and close Guantanamo, for starters. But please lets stop pretending that the US moving to something like the UK or Germany is a Communist takeover. It's shrill and a little bit insulting to those actually living under dictatorship.

I feel very sorry for the people of Venezuela . It will take a generation to make right the damage Chavez has done and will do before he is gone . However , when he is removed and how he is removed seem to be problems without solution . His model is the trainwreck known as Cuba where vicious thugs have kept the people enslaved for over 50 years . This will only get worse , probably much worse before there is even the glimmer of hope . I feel very sorry for the people of Venezuela.

Chavez is a professional hitman. He uses all the tools of the state to destroy the people he despises. He insults them on TV, steals their properties, and uses the judiciary to send them to jail. And if the judge opposes Chavez orders, the judge is sent to jail. Even more pathetic is the behavior of the self-described “international community” and the NGOs, all of them looking the other way as one “of their baboons” is making Venezuela another “socialist gulag”.

Its the road America is walking towards. We've got our own Chavez-esque administration in the White House.
Obama is as much a believer in free markets and capitalist principles as Chavez is. Nationalization of Auto Companies, Banks, Health Care, Financial Regulation etc.